Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-03-31
Mistakes i'm Gardening.

The principal mistake that many west
ern farmers make is in regarding vege-
table garden as a thing Of very small i'm
portance. Some think that the garden
is not profitable because none of it's pro-
ducts are converted into money, as are
those of the field. They may acknowl-
edge that a variety of fine vegetables adds
to the pleasures of the table, but they
seem to think that an abundance of veg
etables does not diminish on account OF
bread, meat, and fish the family consumes.
They regard the latter as constituting
true food and the former merely as con-
diments and appetizers. The truth Is
that a good vegetable garden and plan
| tation of smell fruit will supply family
with more than half the food necessary
for ats support. They will afford con-
stant and agreeable change from diet
of bread, salt meat, eggs and potatoes.
They will diminish not only grOcers' and
butchers bills, but those of doctors and
druggists. They will promote health and
happiness, which are essential to doing
the work required on farm. A supply
of fine vegetables requires but a very
small expenditure of money and only q
small amount of land. The management
of q vegetable garden calls for no costly
machine.
Farmers who do have a vegetable ger
den, or who try to have one, often make
a very grave mistake in locating it. They
desire to have it near the house, so that
it will be handy to do work in and save
steps for those who wish to go to it for
vegetables. In their desire to have the
garden where it will be handy they ofSen
locate it where it will be partially shaded
hITt "a far f,J1jl ha nj
ed to ornament the house lot and where
the poultry will be constantly running to
it. To keep the fowls out fence is
necessary, which is quite costly to erect,
while it will shade the ground, that shoHld
receive the full sunshine. The fence
prevents the free use of the pillow, harrow
and enltiyator, and makes it necessary to
perform almost all the work by hand 1t
also encourages the growth of grass and
weeds, which serve to form safe retreat
for vermln. By locating a garden several
rods from the house the expense of a
fence is saved, the shade of the trees and
buildings is obviated, the trouble caused
10y fowls is avoided. and the use of in
plements drawn by horses is rendered
practicable. The only Offset to this ad-
vantage lis .the trouble walking to and
from the garden, the products OF which
are as safe as they would be if they were
near the house.
Farmers generally make another great
mistake Ia Understanding the amount
of manure required by vegetabIs gard
en-. They think that if land is made
rich enough to raise corn, potatoes, and
small grains it will produce fine roots
and vegetables suitable for the table.
Market gardeners, however, have ascer-
tanned that very high manuring is essen
tial to success in their business. They
find that excellence in vegetables is large
ly thu result of rapid growth, and that
this is secured by the liberal use of fer
tilizers. Many market gardeners in the
vicinity of our large cities annual apply
stable manure to their land at the rate
of seventy-five cords per acre. If the
land is very sandy, as it is where vege-
tables are raised for the New York mar
ket, it is not an unusual thing to apply
one hundred cords of manure to an acre
of land. In addition to well rotted
stable manure gardeners use ashes,
ground bone and various commercial fer
tilizers. This application of manure
results not only in the production of very
very superior quality. Being in all re-
brought from distance, they bring good
prices.
Another very common mistake of farm
ers in the management of gardens is
planting the seeds of all kinds of vege-
tables at nearly the same time. They
know that wheat and oats should be sown
very early in the spring, and that the
planting of corn, beans, and pumpkins
should be DELAYED fill the air and soil ara
warm, and if they considered the matter
they would see the necessity of making a
similar difference in the time of planting
their garden seeds. But they are less in
terested in garden than in field crops,
and do not observe their habits so close
ly. As this is the case, they are likely to
plant bush beans. squashes and melons at
the same time they do the seeds of
onions and vegetables raised for their
roots. Ordinarily the former are planted
too early, while the latter are planted
quitevoo late to secure the best results
Onions, like wheat and most other small